Method of providing information relating to an article

ABSTRACT

A method of providing information relating to an article of commerce includes the steps of providing a unitary plastic fastener with the information relating to the article being formed therein and tagging the fastener to the article, such as using a conventional tagger gun. The unitary plastic fastener includes a filament, a paddle at one end of the filament, and a cross-bar at the other end of the filament. The paddle of the fastener is either embossed, cut-out and/or shaped to display the information relating to the article to which the fastener is to be attached. Types of information which may be formed into the paddle of the fastener include, among other things, a brand name associated with the article, a company name associated with the article, a logo associated with the article, size information relating to the article, instructional information relating to use of the article, identification information relating to the article, and certification information relating to the article.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation-in-part of PCT Application Number PCT/US2004/011945 which, in turn, is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/697,992, filed Oct. 30, 2003 which, in turn, is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/414,828, filed Apr. 16, 2003, all of said applications being incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to plastic fasteners of the type used to attach merchandise tags to articles of commerce.

Plastic fasteners of the type used to attach merchandise tags to pieces of fabric, such as articles of clothing, product labels, and the like, are well known in the art and widely used in the retail industry. Typically, such fasteners comprise an elongated plastic member having a first end shaped to define a cross-bar (also commonly referred to as a “T-bar”), a second end shaped to define an enlarged paddle, and a thin filament portion interconnecting the cross-bar and the paddle. As will be described further below, the cross-bar is adapted to be inserted first through a tag and then into a desired piece of fabric, with the paddle being appropriately sized and shaped to keep the tag from being pulled off the second end of the filament portion.

Plastic fasteners of the type described above are typically mass-produced in either one of two different forms known as fastener stock. A first type of fastener stock is a clip-type assembly, said clip comprising a plurality of fasteners, each such fastener comprising a flexible filament having a cross-bar at one end thereof and a paddle at the opposite end thereof. The fasteners are arranged in a spaced, side-by-side orientation, with the respective cross-bars parallel to one another and the respective paddles parallel to one another, each of the cross-bars being joined to a common, orthogonally-disposed runner bar by a severable connector. Adjacent paddles also may be interconnected by severable connectors extending therebetween.

The aforementioned fastener clip is typically made through the process of injection molding. Several commercial embodiments of the above-described fastener clip have been sold by the present assignee, Avery Dennison Corporation, as DENNISON® SWIFTACH® fastener clips.

A second type of fastener stock, which is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,475, inventors McCarthy et al., issued Sep. 11, 1990 (which patent is incorporated herein by reference), comprises a plurality of fasteners arranged in an end-to-end alignment, the paddles and T-bars of successive fasteners being joined together by severable connectors so as to form a supply of continuously connected fastener stock.

The second type of fastener stock is commonly manufactured through a process which is referred to as continuous molding. An example of continuously connected fastener stock which is manufactured using a process of continuous molding is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,784, inventor Russell, issued Jul. 31, 1984 (which patent is incorporated herein by reference). In said patent, the continuously connected fastener stock is made by a rotary extrusion process that involves the use of a rotating molding wheel whose periphery is provided with molding cavities that are complementary in shape to the molded fastener stock. To form the fastener stock, molten plastic is extruded into the cavities of the molding wheel with a layer of controlled film overlying the peripheral impression. The molten plastic is then allowed to solidify. A knife in substantially elliptical contact with the peripheral impression is then used to skive excess plastic from the rotating molding wheel (i.e., the layer of controlled film), leaving plastic only in the molding cavities. After the skiving process, the continuously connected fastener stock is removed, in-line, from the cavities in the molding wheel. Transfer rolls advance the fastener stock typically to a stretching station where selected portions of the fastener stock are selectively distended (e.g., using diverging sprocket wheels). After the stretching process, the fastener stock is collected onto a windup roll for packaging.

Typically, the practice of at least partially separating an individual plastic fastener from a supply of fastener stock and, in turn, inserting the individual plastic fastener through a tag and into a piece of fabric is achieved using a hand-held apparatus commonly referred to as a tagger gun. Examples of tagger guns are disclosed in the following U.S. Patents, both of which are incorporated herein by reference: U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,475, inventors McCarthy et al., which issued Sep. 11, 1990; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,288,017, inventor Russell, which issued Sep. 8, 1981.

Tagger guns typically comprise a hollow needle, the needle typically including a stem portion. The stem portion typically is generally cylindrical in shape and has a longitudinally-extending, cylindrically-shaped bore adapted to receive the cross-bar of a fastener. In addition, said stem portion typically has a longitudinally-extending slot adapted to permit the filament portion of a fastener to extend therethrough while the cross-bar of the fastener is disposed in the longitudinal bore of the stem portion. The stem portion also typically has a sharpened tip adapted for insertion into a desired article of commerce. The needle may also include a base portion, said base portion being attached to the rear of the stem portion and being adapted to be removably received in the tool. The stem portion and the base portion may be a unitary structure or, as is more often the case, the base portion is insert-molded onto the rear end of the stem portion.

Tagger guns also typically comprise an ejector rod for ejecting the cross-bar through the needle and into the article of commerce, a knife or similar severing means for cutting the severable connector between the cross-bar being dispensed and its adjacent cross-bar and feeding means for advancing the assembly of fasteners in the tool so as to align the forward most cross-bar with the bore of the hollow needle.

The practice of using a tagger gun to secure a tag to a piece of fabric is typically accomplished in the following manner. The supply of fastener stock is loaded into the tagger gun. The sharpened tip of the needle of the tagger gun is then disposed through the desired tag and into the piece of fabric. The ejector rod is then activated, such as through the compression of a trigger, which, in turn, ejects the cross-bar first through the tag and then through the desired piece of fabric, thereby disposing the cross-bar and the paddle on opposite sides of the desired piece of fabric with the tag slidably disposed onto the filament of the fastener. As noted above, the paddle is appropriately sized and shaped to keep the tag from being pulled off the filament portion of the fastener.

Although well-known and widely used in commerce, plastic fasteners of the type described above provide few deterrents to unscrupulous consumers who engage in the act of ticket-switching. Specifically, it has been found that unscrupulous consumers often attempt to replace the merchandise tag associated with a product with a merchandise tag associated with another, less expensive, product. These consumers may accomplish this act of ticket-switching by severing the plastic fastener, removing the severed plastic fastener and merchandise tag from the product, and then securing a less expensive merchandise tag onto the product using a similarly constructed plastic fastener. As can be appreciated, because conventional plastic fasteners are provided with no identification and/or authentication means, security officials are unable to readily ascertain whether an original plastic fastener has been replaced with a similar plastic fastener as part of a ticket-switching act, which is highly undesirable.

In addition, it should be noted that plastic fasteners of the type described above are typically constructed out of a solid white plastic material. As such, it is to be understood that such a plastic fastener provides no notable aesthetic and/or informative value with respect to the article to which it is secured.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved plastic fastener of the type which is used to attach a tag to a product.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a plastic fastener of the type described above which preferably can be mass-produced into a continuously connected supply of fastener stock and which preferably can be dispensed using conventional tagger guns.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a plastic fastener as described above which provides pertinent information relating to the article to which it is affixed.

It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide a plastic fastener as described above which is aesthetically pleasing.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a plastic fastener as described above which has a limited number of parts, which is inexpensive to manufacture and which is easy to use.

Therefore, according to one feature of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing information relating to an article, the method comprising the steps of (a) forming a unitary plastic fastener, the unitary plastic fastener comprising, (i) a filament, (ii) a paddle at one end of the filament, and (iii) a cross-bar at the other end of the filament, (iv) wherein the paddle is embossed to display information relating to the article, and (b) tagging the unitary plastic fastener to the article.

According to another feature of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing information relating to an article, the method comprising the steps of (a) forming a unitary plastic fastener, the unitary plastic fastener comprising, (i) a filament, (ii) a paddle at one end of the filament, and (iii) a cross-bar at the other end of the filament, (iv) wherein at least one cut-out is formed into the paddle to display information relating to the article, and (b) tagging the unitary plastic fastener to the article.

According to another feature of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing information relating to an article, the method comprising the steps of (a) forming a unitary plastic fastener, the unitary plastic fastener comprising, (i) a filament, (ii) a paddle at one end of the filament, and (iii) a cross-bar at the other end of the filament, (iv) wherein the outer periphery of the paddle is shaped to display information relating to the article, and (b) tagging the unitary plastic fastener to the article.

Various other features and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration, various embodiments for practicing the invention. The embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings wherein like reference numerals represent like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a plastic fastener constructed according to the teachings of the present invention, the fastener being shown secured to an article of commerce, the fastener also being shown supporting a merchandise tag for the article of commerce;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the plastic fastener shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a plastic fastener constructed according to the teachings of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a plastic fastener constructed according to the teachings of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a plastic fastener constructed according to the teachings of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a first embodiment of a unitary plastic fastener which is constructed according to the teachings of the present invention and identified generally by reference numeral 11. Plastic fastener 11 is shown securing a merchandise tag 13 (also referred to herein as price ticket 13) to an article of commerce 15. As will be described further in detail below, plastic fastener 11 serves two principal functions: (1) as means for coupling a merchandise tag 13 to an article of commerce 15, and (2) as means for displaying additional pertinent information relating to the article of commerce 15 to which it is attached.

For the purposes of the present invention, article of commerce 15 represents any product that can be tagged with plastic fastener 11. As an example, article of commerce 15 may represent an article of clothing, such as a shirt or a pair of socks, or a label (e.g., a woven label) affixed to said article of clothing. As another example, article of commerce 15 may represent a rug or other similar length of fabric or material. As another example, article of commerce 15 may represent a food product (e.g, cooked or uncooked chicken, beef or fish) that is being displayed for sale. It is to be understood that additional applications for plastic fastener 11 could be envisioned without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown an enlarged perspective view of plastic fastener 11. As can be seen, plastic fastener 11 is a unitary member having a first end which is shaped to define a cross-bar 17, a second end which is shaped to define an enlarged paddle 19, and a thin filament 21 which interconnects cross-bar 17 and paddle 19. Preferably, fastener 11 can be mass-produced as part of a quantity of either continuously connected fastener stock or fastener stock of the type having an orthogonally disposed runner bar using conventional molding processes.

Cross-bar 17 is generally D-shaped in lateral cross-section, cross-bar 17 comprising a flat bottom surface 23 and a rounded top surface 25. As such, cross-bar 17 is appropriately sized and shaped to be inserted through price ticket 13 and into article of commerce 15, preferably through the hollow slotted needle of a conventional tagging gun.

Paddle 19 is in the form of an enlarged, thin rectangular member which is appropriately sized and shaped to prevent a merchandise tag 13 which is slidably mounted on filament 21 (as shown in FIG. 1) from being removed thereover. Paddle 19 is shaped to include a substantially flat top surface 27 and a substantially flat bottom surface 29.

As the principal novel feature of the present invention, information 31 is formed into paddle 19 of plastic fastener 11. In the present embodiment, information 31 is embossed into top surface 27 of paddle 19 (preferably during the process of molding fastener 11) in such a manner so that the information 31 is raised slightly above top surface 27.

Information 31 is shown in FIG. 2 as being in the form of a corporate logo. However, it is to be understood that information 31 is not limited to representing a corporate logo. Rather, as defined herein, information 31 represents any type of relevant information that relates to the article of commerce 15 to which fastener 11 is ultimately attached. Examples of the types of information 31 which may be formed in paddle 19 of plastic fastener 11 are enumerated below.

(1) Brand Name information: Information 31 may represent a particular brand, product line and/or trademark that is commonly associated with the article of commerce 15 to which fastener 11 is to be attached.

(2) Company Name information: Information 31 may represent the name of a participant in the retail supply chain associated with the article of commerce 15 to which fastener 11 is to be attached (e.g., the supplier, retailer and/or manufacturer of article of commerce 15).

(3) Logo: Information 31 may represent a logo (as shown in the drawings) for a particular brand or company commonly associated with the article of commerce 15 to which fastener 11 is to be attached.

(4) Size information: Information 31 may represent the particular size (e.g., small, medium, large, extra large) of the article of commerce 15 to which fastener 11 is to be attached. It is to be understood that size information provided on fastener 11 would have its principal use in conjunction with tagging articles of clothing.

(5) Instructional information: Information 31 may represent instructions for handling, treating, preparing and/or protecting the article of commerce 15 to which fastener 11 is to be attached. For example, when fastener 11 is used to tag a food product, information 31 may simply inform the consumer to remove fastener 11 from the product prior to its consumption.

(6) Identification information: Information 31 may represent a unique identification code (e.g., a tracking code, serial number, etc.) for the article of commerce 15 to which fastener 11 is to be attached.

(7) Certification information: Information 31 may represent a certification made with respect to the article of commerce 15 to which the fastener 11 is to be attached. As an example, when fastener 11 is secured to a food article, information 31 may notify the consumer that the food meets certain industrial criteria (e.g, “Grade A”, “Kosher”, “Organically Grown”, or “Gluten-Free”). As another example, when fastener 11 is secured to an article of clothing, information 31 may notify the consumer that the article passed certain industrial standards (e.g., “Inspected by” or “Approved by”).

It should be noted that the integration of article relevant information directly into paddle 19 provides plastic fastener 11 with a number of notable advantages over conventional plastic fasteners (which are provided with no noticeable markings).

As a first advantage, displaying a brand name, company name and/or logo on paddle 19 of fastener 11 can be used to further authenticate the source of the article of commerce 15 to which fastener 11 is attached, thereby serving as an deterrent against the act of article counterfeiting, which is highly desirable.

As a second advantage, displaying a brand name, company name and/or logo on paddle 19 of fastener 11 increases consumer recognition and, as a result, improves product marketability, which is highly desirable.

As a third advantage, the generation of uniquely designed fasteners 11 serves to prevent unscrupulous consumers from the act of ticket-switching (i.e., by severing the plastic fastener, removing the price tag, and then reattaching an lower-priced merchandise tag to the article using a different plastic fastener, which is highly desirable.

The ability to provide unique information onto the paddle of a plastic fastener provides a number of additional benefits which all fall within the scope of the present invention.

It should be noted that embossed information 31 need not be limited to being raised from top surface 27 of paddle 19. Rather, referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown another embodiment of a unitary plastic fastener constructed according to the teachings of the present invention and identified generally by reference numeral 111.

Plastic fastener 111 is similar to plastic fastener 11 in that plastic fastener 111 is a unitary member having a first end which is shaped to define a cross-bar 117, a second end which is shaped to define an enlarged paddle 119, and a thin filament 121 which interconnects cross-bar 117 and enlarged paddle 119. In addition, paddle 119 is similar to paddle 19 in that paddle 119 is in the form of an enlarged, thin rectangular member which includes a substantially flat top surface 127 and a substantially flat bottom surface 129.

Plastic fastener 111 differs from plastic fastener 11 in that plastic fastener 111 includes information 131 which is embossed into top surface 115 of paddle 119 (preferably during the process of molding fastener 111) in such a manner so that information 131 is recessed in from top surface 127 of paddle 119.

Accordingly, for the purposes of the present invention, it should be noted that use of the term “embossed” with respect to information integrally formed into a fastener paddle encompasses both an embodiment in which said information is raised slightly above the top surface of the fastener paddle (e.g., fastener 11) and an embodiment in which said information is recessed slightly beneath the top surface of the fastener paddle (e.g., fastener 111).

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to providing article-pertinent information into the paddle of a fastener by means of embossing. Rather, it is to be understood that alternative means for providing article-pertinent information into a fastener paddle could be utilized without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown there is shown another embodiment of a unitary plastic fastener constructed according to the teachings of the present invention and identified generally by reference numeral 211.

Plastic fastener 211 is similar to plastic fastener 11 in that plastic fastener 211 is a unitary member having a first end which is shaped to define a cross-bar 217, a second end which is shaped to define an enlarged paddle 219, and a thin filament 221 which interconnects cross-bar 217 and enlarged paddle 219. In addition, paddle 219 is similar to paddle 19 in that paddle 219 is in the form of an enlarged, thin rectangular member which includes a substantially flat top surface 227 and a substantially flat bottom surface 229.

Plastic fastener 211 differs from plastic fastener 11 in that plastic fastener 211 includes a plurality of cut-outs 230 which are formed in paddle 219, each cut-out 230 extending through paddle 219 from top surface 227 to bottom surface 229. Together, the plurality of cut-outs 230 represent article-pertinent information 231 of the type similar to information 31 in fastener 11.

It should be noted that cut-outs 230 may be formed into paddle 219 using any conventional means. As an example, cut-outs 230 may be formed into paddle 219 during the process of molding fastener 211. As another example, cut-outs 230 may be formed into paddle 219 during a stamping process that is to be undertaken after the fastener has been molded.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown an another embodiment of a unitary plastic fastener constructed according to the teachings of the present invention and identified generally by reference numeral 311.

Fastener 311 is similar to plastic fastener 211 in that plastic fastener 311 is a unitary member having a first end which is shaped to define a cross-bar 317, a second end which is shaped to define an enlarged paddle 319, and a thin filament 321 which interconnects cross-bar 317 and enlarged paddle 319. In addition, paddle 319 is similar to paddle 219 in that paddle 319 includes a plurality of cut-outs 330 formed therein.

Plastic fastener 311 differs from plastic fastener 211 in that the outer periphery of paddle 319 is shaped into a unique configuration. As can be appreciated, the combination of shaping the outer periphery of paddle 319 and providing one or more cut-outs 330 enables paddle 319 to represent article-pertinent information 331 of the type similar to information 31 in fastener 11 (e.g., a corporate logo).

It should be noted that the above-described embodiments detail the process by which article-relevant information may be formed into the paddle of a plastic fastener using either embossing, cutting-out or paddle-shaping/cutting-out processes. However, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments detailed above. Rather, it is to be understood that the present invention is meant to encompass the idea of providing article-relevant information in the paddle of a fastener using any combination of embossing, cutting-out and/or paddle-shaping processes without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The embodiments shown in the present invention are intended to be merely exemplary and those skilled in the art shall be able to make numerous variations and modifications to it without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. 

1. A method of providing information relating to an article, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a unitary plastic fastener, the unitary plastic fastener comprising, (i) a filament, (ii) a paddle at one end of the filament, and (iii) a cross-bar at the other end of the filament, (iv) wherein the paddle is embossed to display information relating to the article, and (b) tagging the unitary plastic fastener to the article.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display a brand name associated with article.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display a company name associated with the article.
 4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display a logo associated with the article.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display size information relating to the article.
 6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display instructional information relating to use of the article.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display identification information relating to the article.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display certification information relating to the article.
 9. A method of providing information relating to an article, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a unitary plastic fastener, the unitary plastic fastener comprising, (i) a filament, (ii) a paddle at one end of the filament, and (iii) a cross-bar at the other end of the filament, (iv) wherein at least one cut-out is formed into the paddle to display information relating to the article, and (b) tagging the unitary plastic fastener to the article.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display a brand name associated with article.
 11. The method of claim 9 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display a company name associated with the article.
 12. The method of claim 9 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display a logo associated with the article.
 13. The method of claim 9 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display size information relating to the article.
 14. The method of claim 9 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display instructional information relating to use of the article.
 15. The method of claim 9 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display identification information relating to the article.
 16. The method of claim 9 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display certification information relating to the article.
 17. A method of providing information relating to an article, the method comprising the steps of: (a) forming a unitary plastic fastener, the unitary plastic fastener comprising, (i) a filament, (ii) a paddle at one end of the filament, and (iii) a cross-bar at the other end of the filament, (iv) wherein the outer periphery of the paddle is shaped to display information relating to the article, and (b) tagging the unitary plastic fastener to the article.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display a logo associated with the article.
 19. The method of claim 17 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display size information relating to the article.
 20. The method of claim 17 wherein the paddle of the fastener is embossed to display certification information relating to the article. 